Major 7.0-magnitude quake strikes Peru: USGS

The quake hit at 2321 GMT 42 kilometers east-northeast of Tambo at a depth of 58.9 kilometers, the US Geological Survey said.

Located 471 kilometers southeast of the capital Lima, it hit at at 23:21 GMT.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cautioned that earthquakes of this size "sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within 100 kilometers of the earthquake epicenter."

"Authorities in the region of the epicenter should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action," it added. (AFP)